§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether it is the practice for the Supplementary Benefits Commisson to see union membership files or membership cards for the purposes of determining who is receiving strike pay; and whether benefit can be refused if such information is unreasonably withheld;
(2) whether and in what circumstances the Supplementary Benefits Commission assumes that an income tax rebate has been made to a striker, even if it has no proof that such a rebate has been made;
(3) what would have been the estimated extra cost to the Supplementary Benefits Commission in 1977 or in the latest year for which figures are available of disregarding income tax rebates in assessing supplementary benefit entitlement for strikers and their families.
(4) what proportion of supplementary benefit expenditure on strikes in 1977 or in the latest year for which figures are available was in respect of rent and rates only;
(5) whether he will publish the terms of reference governing the present review team inquiry into the payment of supplementary benefit during trade disputes as well as its membership; when the report is expected to be ready; and whether he will publish it;
(6) whether, as a consequence of the Supplementary Benefits Commission contributing towards the rent and rates paid by strikers' families, any money was paid to his Department from local authorities in England and Wales under the central accounting arrangements in the financial year 1977–78 or the latest year for which figures are available; and whether he will set out the amount involved;
(7) whether the Supplementary Benefits Commission has the power to give heating allowances or to make discretionary payments to strikers' families; and, if so, how much money was so expended in 1977 or in the latest year for which figures are available.
61W(8) how much of the supplementary benefit expenditure on strikers' families in 1977 was in respect of wives and how many wives benefited; how much of the same expenditure in 1977 was in respect of children; and how many children were involved;
(9) what has been the average weekly payment by way of national assistance and supplementary benefit to strikers' dependants in each year from 1970.
(10) whether he will estimate the number of strikers involved in disputes since 1970 which were long enough to make them or their families eligible for supplementary benefit; and if he will estimate the number who actually received benefit.
(11) whether a striker who is paid monthly has his income tax rebate set against the supplementary benefit entitlement of his family for the limited period of one month; whether a striker who is paid weekly has his rebates set against the supplementary benefit entitlement of his family for the limited period of one week; and whether the same rules apply to the striker who is drawing supplementary benefit for himself alone.